Teacher education and teaching (TET)

This theme is concerned with teacher education, teaching and teachers’ work in local, national and global contextsand promotes a multi-disciplinary perspective towards teaching and teacher education research. It incorporates a multi-disciplinary perspective to ensure that all key elements of teaching and teacher education are embodied in research. The theme crosses multiple research paradigms and values diverse conceptual, theoretical and methodological research approaches to produce innovative and contemporary contributions to theory and practice. In this theme, all research paradigms and incorporates diverse conceptual, theoretical and methodological approaches to research to ensure that innovative and contemporary contributions to theory and practice are made in areas of research, policy and practice. TET aims to enhance the capacity of teacher education research in the states and territories of Australia, including the Northern Territory and South Australia, by focusing on producing high quality research that has local, national and international significance. The theme is centred on three inter-related Focus Areas that beset current national and international challenges and directions in teacher education policy, practice and research.

Focus Area 1 – Professional Learning

The focus here is on professional experience and placement including:

Preservice teacher classroom readiness

Mentor-mentee capacity building

Supervising the professional experience placement

Impact of school leaders/learning leaders

University-school partnerships

Pre-service and in-service initial teacher education professional learning and development

Ongoing professional learning

Leadership development

Focus Area 2 – Pedagogy and Learning

Foci include:

Online learning and innovation in initial teacher education programs;

Pedagogical content and practices in school and higher education settings; and

Subject/content knowledge in school and higher education settings.

Focus Area 3 – Partnerships in Education

Foci include:

Local, national and global teaching and research partnerships;

Strengthening connections between teaching and research;

Coordinating research with IGCE themes of Well-being, Sustainability and Globalisation; Identity, language and Culture; and Digital Education Futures to forefront the implications for teaching and teacher education;

Sustaining partnerships with CDU teaching and research groups including the Centre for School Leadership, ACIKE, the Education Health Nexus and the Batchelor Institute, while focusing on local external partnerships such as CDU Teaching Schools that support initial teacher education;

Ensuring that links between research, policy and practice are maintained with local and interstate education departments and teacher registration boards;

Liaising and consulting with national education bodies and professional associations; and

Linking globally with other teacher education research groups, special interest groups and associations.